There Went April

I was so unimpressed with the month of April that I didn't even talk about it.  I always have hopes for a better month weather-wise and always get disappointed.  Once the trees and flowers start blooming and we have a little sunshine every few days, I get excited and think I'm going to be able to get out and enjoy it.  It was the second day of May before I was able to get out without a sweater or jacket for any length of time, and I really got tired of the cold rain and clouds.

So what did I do to pass the days of April?  I'll have to go back and look at pictures and read emails, but everyone has been healthy and happy and doing lots of fun things.

Some outdoor pictures first, most taken in the last four days.

"Our" garden has been cleaned and is ready for planting.

Emily has quite a bit of kale left over from last year, and she and Elise are happy to gather it and enjoy it.

A neighbor's beautiful tulips.

Mike and I always loved seeing this bright yellow bush along the interstate, and we actually looked up the name of it once.  Maybe I'll do it again.  This is on the garden trail.

In February of 2013, I wrote in the blog that it would be so nice for this to be my view walking home.  And now it is.  I can't enjoy it enough - in all seasons.

The best thing about the apartment complex office is this pretty Japanese maple.  Can't think of anything else.

After school last Thursday, the girls and I took a nature walk, as they call it, when we vary our path home.  Lots of interest in the pool and when it opens.  Brrrr.  Not for another month or so.  This looks like a hydrangea, but it's blooming earlier than the other ones around.

When Graysen was about 2 or 3 years old, she was convinced there were tigers in this little wetlands areas.  We've seen bunnies and deer and hopefully will never see anything bigger.

One of the big red rhododentrons just blooming.  At least, I think it is.

We found a secret shortcut on the other side of the jungle.

These are my favorite rhodies.  Katherine and I stopped and admired all the blooms one day and talked about how they look like wedding bouquets.  She said, "Do these seem like flowers a girl could pick?"

 

The hydrangeas at the bottom of our stairs will be showy from next month until late in the fall, starting out white, and turning several colors of pink and then purple and finally a velvety brown.

I spotted this on the way to pick up Graysen one day and hoped she would find it on the way back.  She loves to discover painted rocks and collect them.

And she did.

The cherry trees have already bloomed and shed their blossoms. 

 We haven't kept Jack in a few weeks, but he always makes walking more fun.

Yesterday I walked over to Steller to  Debbie's house.  Her "bridge girls" were coming to play, and she wanted me to meet them.  I was afraid it was a trick and she was going to ask me to play, but she didn't, and I enjoyed watching.  I wish I were more interested.  I used to play, and I know the basic rules, but I don't have room in my head for learning strategy and bidding signals and things.  They don't keep score and do a good bit of discussing what they're doing, so I was comfortable with their level of playing.  But they're still wanting to learn and get better.  It was nice to meet the other three.  They also play mah-jongg, which I have no idea about, but it sounds interesting.  The little bit I tried to find out about it seemed complicated.  I like the little tiles though.

One day, Debbie and I asked Ryan to let us see the old house that they just sold.  I haven't been in it since last year, and Ryan has been busy working and having work done on the house and yard.  It's beautiful, and I'll miss it.  It was the first house I came to in 2012 on my first visit here, I think.

I sat at this window and watched it rain one day and figured people who lived here must have a hard time not getting down.  I asked Emily, and she reassured me it didn't bother her.  I see Debbie's house.

This is also the window where I sat in the glider and rocked babies many times and read hundreds of stories.  This was Katherine's nursery.  It's been repainted and all those decorative stickers removed - the ones she didn't peel away herself once she got older.

These are the only pictures I could find with the stickers. 

And Graysen's room.  I think I will miss it most of all.  Such a beautiful room and one that I've spent so much time in.  Here with the staging pieces.

And back when Griffin had just met his sister and thought it was his new room.

This is the master bath that had carpet, but Ryan decided to replace it with tiles.  It looks so much bigger.

And this closet.  It's nearly as big as my apartment!

The yard and deck have a lot of improvements with a new fence and new retaining wall.

Sometimes I miss this kitchen.  I love the new house, but this was an amazing kitchen.  There were over 20 deep drawers so always a place for everything.  And two big pantries with sliding drawers.  And an instant hot water faucet!

This looks wonderful.  Ryan built the raised beds, and they're leaving those but taking all the strawberries!  The new house is right behind this fence.

Time has run out for doing nothing.  There are several school activities and pictures I'll add tomorrow.